Assinins South cleanup accomplished and 2026 plans to finish the work at Assinins North

Dating back to 1843, Assinins was established as a Catholic Mission that served as both a church and orphanage and also a residential area. In the nearly 100 years that the orphanage operated at Assinins, the foot print of the site was modified a few times – outhouse, barns, and garages were added. Notably, damage to the original orphanage at Assinins North meant that a second orphanage was built at the Assinins South location. When the land was returned to KBIC in the 1970s, the Tribal Center operated out of the second orphanage. A fire in 1993 significantly damaged the Tribal Center and a few years later, in 1997, most of the remaining buildings on the site were demolished. 

Prioritizing Assinins for cleanup and redevelopment was the direct result of surveys where community members emphasized the important of the site and made it clear that they wanted the area to be cleaned up and redeveloped. Draft Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) from 2010 and 2011 identified a variety of on-site issues, such as building materials from the burned Tribal Center that were buried in place, including lead paint, asbestos, and fuel oil that had been in the basement, scrap tires, three 1,000-gallon underground storage tanks, a petroleum release from another UST that was removed in 1998, and other miscellaneous debris. In the 2011 report, arsenic was identified in soil and confirmed in 2024. 

Assessment and cleanup at Assinins South began in 2024 with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)/Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). To comply with Brownfield legal requirements, the NRD must have a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) in place, conduct and Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA), and create a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) before cleanup actions can begin. These steps ensure that we have an effective cleanup strategy and can demonstrate that our cleanup efforts were successful. Following the development of the QAPP, ABCA, and RAP, work began remove the debris and contaminated soil. In June 2025, excavation began of the former Tribal Center, two garages, water catch basins, and a 10,000-gallon underground storage tank; along with surrounding debris and contaminated soils. The area was filled with clean soil, seeded, and mulched.

Attention has now turned to Assinins North, with plans to begin cleanup in 2026.  Since the previous QAPP is still relevant, NRD will work with a contractor to conduct an ABCA for this area and create a RAP before cleanup actions begin. These steps are site-specific and must be created for the Assinins North site so that we can demonstrate that our efforts were as successful as the southern site.

Currently NRD staff are combing through documents to identify and locate buildings and other infrastructure at the site and other debris that needs to be cleaned up. Plans are based on historical images held at the Baraga County Historical Society and the Assinins-Baraga Center as well as previously assembled reports. Spending time and energy to ensure accurate site maps minimize the likelihood of unexpected finds, like underground storage tanks. Thus far, the northern site contains the remnants of the original orphanage and a large barn that pose a safety risk and potentially contain unknown contaminants. If all goes well, this portion of the site will be cleaned up by the end of next year.

Have any questions about Assinins remediation and/or Brownfield sites? Please contact Nathaniel Gransell, Environmental Response Program Specialist or Dione Price, Environmental Health Manager.

*Brownfields are contaminated sites that contain or may contain hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Visit the EPA’s Brownfields webpage for more information.